20 Day Jump Start Program: DAY 11

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I sincerely wish you and your family all the joy and happiness you deserve this holiday season. I have some pretty exciting things happening that I can’t wait to share with you over the weekend!

Just a quick heads up, in the spirit of the season I will not be posting Day 12 until the 26th. I believe neither you, or I, should spend even a moment away from friends and family on Christmas day. Enjoy the love and laughter of all you are surrounded by and appreciate what the good lord has given you as 2015 comes to a close.

Now, on to Day 11!

I am so proud of everyone who has kept up with this program. Choosing health is not always easy, but definitely worth it. I hope I have made some of those challenges a little bit easier as you embark on this journey!

Day 11 Exercise: Rotating Plank Row

Even if you don’t love planks, you should still appreciate their versatility and importance. You can modify them to work whatever you need them too while building a strong core.

Ready to try them out?

If you’re like me, you struggle to see the benefit of any food that comes in a bag or box. If I had the time and a green enough thumb I would grow and harvest my own foods and avoid the grocery store all together. Unfortunately, this is not always (literally almost never) an option and sometimes we just need something quick, easy and healthy to get us to tomorrow.

Fresh Vs. Frozen

In a perfect world we would all eat fresh organic produce and free range protein options all the time. Since this is not the reality for most people, let’s compare options. Fresh vegetables are great, but in order to ship them from wherever they are grown to your grocery store they are typically picked before ripening. Not letting them grow to full maturity short changes you of their potential nutrients. Frozen produce is typically packaged and frozen after it ripens so it could potentially boast more bang for your buck in both nutrients and in overall cost.

They Aren’t any Less good for you

Freezing fruits and vegetables is a natural preservative so that they can keep from breaking down and losing nutrients as quickly as they would otherwise. Fruits and veggies retain their benefits long after they’re picked due to the freezing process. While that fresh head of kale barely made it to Wednesday, the frozen bag could stay good for up to 8 months in your freezer. Many would argue that frozen fruits and veggies are nutritionally superior to their ‘fresh’ counterparts.

Tips and Tricks

Now, this doesn’t mean those additional nutrients warrant slathering them in butter and salt. Bags that come with prepared sauces can contain high amounts of sodium and other unnatural ingredients that compromise the healthfulness of the meal. If possible avoid the following bagged veggies to improve the benefits of the meal;

Fruits or veggies with Sauce

Chopped, peeled, or crushed

Included in an entire frozen meal

There is a way to cut corners without cutting the nutrients of the meal. Fresh fruit and vegetable options are a great time and money saver if used right.